# What was this fruit my patient shared with me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986 "2012-02-25T19:18:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/21 "2012-02-26T01:40:07Z")
Sadly, my supermarket didn’t have any guava (guavas?) today. I did, just for grins, pick up some of the best tasting kumquats I’ve had in years, and a tuna/prickly pear. I have no idea what to do with the later, or even how to tell if it’s ripe, so I’m off to google. They had some nice looking cherimoya today (nope, not that, but I do love those!), but they’re still pretty dang expensive. I haven’t figured out the “season” on those. They always seem expensive. Also got a whole, in the [green husk coconut](http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/zenpix/zenpix0909/zenpix090900005/5545360-coconut-with-green-husk-still-on-isolated-on-white.jpg) with the branch still attached. For 99c! I picked it up mostly to show the kids, not really to eat, but the boy wants to try his hand at opening it. Luckily, he owns a functional machete, so we’ll see how it goes! 😃 I’ll probably be out by the Supermercado tomorrow, so I’ll try for guava again then. ETA: guizot, I’m almost sure [guayabas](http://theothersideofthetortilla.com/2010/03/guayabas-en-sancocho/#axzz1nRpQyra4)is it! [This picture](http://theothersideofthetortilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/guayaba-collage1.jpg) is the closest we’ve found yet. I guess it does have a stem end and a blossom end. Would those be sold as guava in a US market? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/22 "2012-02-26T22:41:50Z")
The guavas I’ve had are not pink inside. They’re yellowish to white. They smell absolutely heavenly, like exotic, tropical candy. I don’t really care for the seeds, though. You can find them here in Chicago at stores frequented by Mexicans. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/23 "2012-02-27T06:51:01Z")
[Feijoa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoa), also known as pineapple guava, is a fruit grown in temperate climates that is in the same family (Myrtaceae) as the true [guava](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava). The true guava can have a very strong flavor and aroma - so strong that it can be overwhelming. The pineapple guava has a milder flavor and less penetrating aroma. Is it possible that your patient gave you a pineapple guava? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/24 "2012-02-27T07:05:20Z")
[Fresh fig](http://www.google.nl/search?q=fresh+fig&hl=nl&safe=off&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=GCtLT9onhsbxA9jpsZEO&ved=0CE0QsAQ&biw=1680&bih=959)? ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/25 "2012-02-27T08:53:06Z")
Feijoas are green not yellow like in the OP > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > [Feijoa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoa), also known as pineapple guava, is a fruit grown in temperate climates that is in the same family (Myrtaceae) as the true [guava](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava). The true guava can have a very strong flavor and aroma - so strong that it can be overwhelming. The pineapple guava has a milder flavor and less penetrating aroma. Is it possible that your patient gave you a pineapple guava? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/26 "2012-02-27T10:33:11Z")
It’s a [persimmon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon), my Lebanese boss provides us with them. Fuyu. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/27 "2012-02-27T11:00:15Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I picked it up mostly to show the kids, not really to eat But… but that’s good eatin’! Don’t waste it. Put it in the fridge overnight, then have the kid lop off the top, put in a straw and drink the delicious milk. Then hack again and scrape off the flesh with a spoon. It’s younger so more jelly-like, but still tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hero_From_Sector_7G)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/28 "2012-02-27T13:14:19Z")
I just want so say Kumquat. I doubt it is your fruit, but still fun to say. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/29 "2012-02-27T14:33:47Z")
Well, either it’s not guava season and none of the markets are stocking it, or it is guava season, and they’re all out! I have another place to try today when I drop the little one off at school. Most frustrating. Definitely not fig or persimmon, but thanks for the ideas. And yes, kumquat is a way fun word to say. I put a couple in my daughter’s lunch this morning, just so I could tell her “I gave you some kumquats in your lunch!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/30 "2012-02-27T15:04:09Z")
There’s never guavas in the grocery store. I haven’t had a guava in nigh fifteen years. ☹ However, they do sell guava juice, so you could try that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/31 "2012-02-27T18:37:18Z")
> [@Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](#): > > I just want so say Kumquat. I doubt it is your fruit, but still fun to say. On that principle, I want to post that the OP probably had a persimmon, even though her description sounds nothing like a persimmon. And if it wasn’t a persimmon, it was probably a huckleberry or a pawpaw. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986/32 "2012-02-27T19:18:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And if it wasn’t a persimmon, it was probably a huckleberry or a pawpaw. No! It was a mangosteen, a rambutan or a chico sapote. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-fruit-my-patient-shared-with-me/613986.md?page=1)